


I'll Say It Forever

by live_laugh_read



Series: Billabong Missing Moments [13]
Category: Billabong Series - Mary Grant Bruce
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-15
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2018-06-02 09:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6560776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/live_laugh_read/pseuds/live_laugh_read
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A missing scene from Billabong Adventurers by Mary Grant Bruce, in which the newly-married Wally and Norah Meadows share a moment during their reception, an hour after their vows have been said.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Say It Forever

Norah slipped away from a conversation with her Aunt Eva and fled out onto the temporary verandah. The barn was a melee of wedding guests, laughing and talking and dancing, and while she enjoyed the atmosphere her jaw was beginning to ache from smiling. 

 

“Is everything all right?” She turned to see Wally standing in the doorway, his hands in his trouser pockets. Her husband’s eyes were dancing and his black hair was ruffled. In a white shirt, dark suit jacket and trousers, he wore a grey tie which was intended to pick up her eyes. 

 

The sight of him had made her smile. After everything they had been through, together and apart, they had reached this point at last. This day was theirs, as was every day to come. “Yes, I just needed to get away from that crowd.” So saying, she nodded towards the barn to indicate what she was talking about. 

 

He laughed, his smile stretching right across his face as he came over to join her at the railing. “It is a bit full-on, isn’t it?” When she agreed, he went on. “You know me, Nor — I’d rather have had something quieter, but I don’t care, as long as I get to marry you in the end.” 

 

Norah’s hand searched for his and, finding it, slipped her fingers through his. The metal of her silver wedding ring was cool against his warm fingers, and he tightened his grip. “A year ago, I thought I’d never get to marry you.” 

 

“Ah — that injury in Queensland.” Wally was watching her; she could see him out of the corner of her eyes. “I fought like hell to come back to you. I wasn’t going to let Hunt, Verrin and that injury get the better of me.”

 

“I knew you never would,” she smiled, remembering that day of miracles when Wally had fought his way back from the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

 

A gentle tug on her hand turned her to face him. Three inches shorter than he naturally, and currently an inch shorter in heels, she had to turn her face up slightly to meet his steady gaze. He often joked that, as he was two years her senior, she would have had to look up to him anyway, regardless of their height difference. 

 

His brown eyes were full of love and a deep, indescribable joy that she knew she had given him, and her heart ached with how much she loved him: this young man who had come through many toils and snares to be here with her today. “Norah, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it forever. I love you.” 

 

Norah couldn’t hold back her smile. From the first days she had known him, it was rare for Wally to talk about his feelings outright: he preferred instead to show them. “I love you too, Wally.” 

 

He caught her lips in a kiss, his hands coming to rest on her hips, her left hand holding his to her hip, her right gripping the rail beside them as she leaned into it. The sound of the music inside changing brought them back to reality, and they stared at each other, foreheads touching. 

 

“Here’s to the start of forever,” she whispered, and they both chuckled, before Wally moved away and held out an arm for her to take, and then they re-entered the brightly decorated barn.


End file.
